SMCC Women's Volleyball Falls to Scottsdale CC, Pima CC

PHOENIX ---

The South Mountain Community College women's volleyball team (2-9, 0-3 ACCAC) lost 3-1 to nationally ranked Scottsdale CC on Sept. 4 and 3-1 to Pima CC on Sept. 6 in a pair of ACCAC contests. Against the Artichokes, sophomore Rylea Simonich posted a career-high 22 kills and 19 digs for her fourth double-double. Two days later, Simonich led SMCC with 13 kills while sophomore Hope Williamson and freshman Reagen Blair added six against the Aztecs. 

Scottsdale CC Recap

SMCC jumped out to a 1-0 lead after winning set one 25-19, but ultimately fell over the following three sets: 25-15, 26-24, 25-16. The Cougars hit .260 in set one behind 16 kills and added another 16 behind a .342 hitting percentage in set three. SMCC totaled 50 kills on 162 swings for a .198 hitting percentage and added 48 assists, seven service aces, 92 digs, and seven total blocks (three solo blocks, eight block assists). 

Simonich set a new career best with her 22 kills and hit .273 on 66 attacks. She also set a new career benchmark with her 19 digs and recorded her fourth straight double-double. Simonich added two assists, one solo block, and two block assists in the match. 

Freshman Bailee Baca was second on the team with eight kills, hitting .206 in 34 swings. She added 14 digs and one assist over four sets. Sophomore Ayanna Rae LeBlanc chipped in seven kills and added a solo block and a block assist, and sophomores Hope Williamson and Savannah Collings each had four kills.

Williamson led SMCC with 23 assists and added 14 digs, one solo block, and one block assist. The double-double was her first of the season. Sophomore Raegan Moran was second on the team with 19 assists and added four service aces and nine digs. 

Sophomore Mikelle McAfee led the Cougars with 30 digs and added three service aces and three assists.  

Pima CC Recap

The Cougars won set two 25-21 to tie the match, but the Aztecs won sets three and four to ultimately prevail: 25-21, 21-25, 25-19, 25-23. SMCC had 11 kills in set three and 13 more in set four but could not stop Pima CC. The Cougars totaled 37 kills, 36 assists, five service aces, 78 digs, three solo blocks, and 10 block assists. 

Simonich led SMCC with 13 kills and hit .217 on 46 attacks. She added 15 digs for her fifth-straight double-double and also had a block assist. Blair hit .286 in 14 swings and had a dig, and Williamson added 25 assists, eight digs, one service ace, one solo block, and three block assists. 

LeBlanc had five kills, and Collings added four, with LeBlanc adding four digs, two solo blocks, and four block assists, while Collings had two digs and a block assist. 

McAfee had a team-high 30 digs, added two assists and three service aces, and Baca had three kills and eight digs.